Upward Look: Speak Not Of Ye All

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“I speak not of you all: I know whom I have chosen: but that the scripture may be fulfilled, “He that eateth bread with me hath lifted up His heel against me.”” (John 13:18)

Just as a coin has two sides, both valid, so Jesus Christ has two natures, both valid. Luke presents Christ in His humanity as the Son of Man; John portrays Him in His deity as the Son of God. John’s purpose is very clear; to set forth Christ in His deity in order to spark believing faith in his readers.

John’s Gospel has the clearest statement of purpose in the Bible: “But these are written, that yet might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through His name.” (20:31)

The predominant theme of this gospel is the dual response of faith and unbelief to the person of Jesus Chris.t Those who place their faith in the Son of God have eternal life, but those who reject Him are under the condemnation of God. (3:36; 5:24-29; 10:27-29)

The rejection of Jesus by His own people can be seen over and over again in chapters 2 through 19 (“his own received him not”) but John also lists a number of men and women who believed in Him (“but as many as received him”).

After Jesus washed the feet of His disciples He otld them that one of them was going to betray Him. He was not referring to all of them, but one who was sharing His bread had lifted up his heel against Jesus. This had been predicted by David in Psalm 41:9 and Jesus told His disciples that the one to whom He would give a piece of bread that He had dipped in the dish was the betrayer. John tells us that after this happened Satan entered Judas. May we not forget lest we, too, betray our Lord.

Poem

After Jesus predicted to His disciples,

That He would soon die,

And that one of them would betray Him,

A charge that Judas could soon not deny.

We are also guilty,

Of denying our Lord Jesus Christ,

Of continually sinning against Him,

Although for us He willingly died.

Prayer

Dear Father, please forgive us for not being the Christ like people you call us to be. For Christ’s sake. Amen.

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